Paulistão could be crucial for defender to prove his worth at Santos | OneFootball

Santos is preparing to debut in the Paulista Championship. The tournament could be important for some players to establish themselves at the club. This is the case for Alexis Duarte.

The defender was announced in September 2025, but has yet to gain a good run of games. The Paraguayan has played only five matches in the black and white jersey, all as a starter.

Alexis Duarte ended up missing several Santos games throughout 2025 due to call-ups to the Paraguayan national team. Since he was signed, he has participated in three FIFA dates for his country.

In this scenario, the defender saw the competition gain ground. Adonis Frías, for example, arrived almost simultaneously with Alexis Duarte but ended the year as a starter in Juan Pablo Vojvoda's defense. The coach also sought homegrown solutions and "revived" Zé Ivaldo.

Now, with the turn of the year, Duarte hopes to take advantage of the training period and the tight schedule to get more minutes in the Santos jersey and, perhaps, become a key piece in the defensive system.

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This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇧🇷 here.